Ford looks at engines as small as two cylinders

DETROIT — As it pursues small-car competitiveness, Ford Motor Co. is developing lots of tiny engines that will stand in striking contrast to the V-8s that powered vehicles of the 1990s.

Engines with just two or three cylinders and a liter or less in displacement are on the horizon, Ford's powertrain chief said. Timing is cloudy.

But with growing demand for small cars and fuel-efficient powertrains, the business case is strong, the company said.

“I think you'll see all of those things roll out,” said Barb Samardzich, Ford vice president of powertrain engineering. “It's more than experimental.”

With technologies such as balance shafts, the noise and vibration problems common with tiny engines are manageable, she said.

But two- and three-cylinder engines are still far off. They likely would be introduced in developing markets or Europe, where small vehicles dominate.

For now, Ford is shrinking its four-cylinder engines.

Next year the automaker will introduce a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine with EcoBoost turbocharging and direct injection, its second and smallest EcoBoost inline four-cylinder. That engine debuts in the next-generation European C-Max, a family of small vehicles derived from the Focus, Ford has announced.

The largest C-Max, a seven-passenger vehicle with sliding doors, will be introduced in North America in late 2011.

Buick takes another look at tag line

Bob Lutz, General Motors Co.'s vice chairman for marketing, revealed the new line at a recent media event here. The tag line will be used in new advertising for the Buick LaCrosse sedan.

The current tag line, “Take a look at me now,” was first used in June.

After he took over GM's advertising and marketing in July, Lutz set out to rework Buick advertising. He said he wanted commercials that would project the design and features of the brand's new products.

Buick's lead ad agency, Leo Burnett, did the new spots for the LaCrosse. A batch of Buick commercials that Lutz rejected had been outsourced to the firm of Gary Topolewski, a former Burnett creative director.

Lutz calls the new Buick advertising “aggressive stuff.”

Meanwhile, GM has launched a billboard campaign in Los Angeles for the LaCrosse that pokes fun at Lexus.

The series of billboards shows the LaCrosse and these lines: “Another thing for Lexus to relentlessly pursue,” “EX your Lexus” and “Goodbye, road rage. Hello, road envy.”

VW considers bringing electric vehicle to U.S.

FRANKFURT — A larger version of the tiny Volkswagen E-Up! electric-vehicle concept, unveiled here at the auto show, likely will be sold in the United States.

“The reason we are working on an electric vehicle is the American market,” said Ulrich Hackenberg, board member in charge of product development at Volkswagen AG.

Hackenberg said a production version of the E-Up! will go on sale in Europe in 2013. He said U.S. sales would start later.

The E-Up! is based on VW's new modular small-car family, scheduled to debut in 2011. The four-seat E-Up!, which measures 125 inches long, has a range of 70 to 80 miles on battery power.